Youth Center/Hotel Place

[double post]

---

"What it means," Mercy began evenly, her calm eyes falling upon Xhevona, "is that Miss Vona here is growing more and more suspicious by the minute. Both Bonnie and Xhevona had papers marked with the time 9:30. According to the Monokuma file, Bonnie died around 9:36, which is only six minutes after the recorded time. Coincidence? I think not."

She placed her arms on the front of her stand, now locked on Xhevona, "and Clair deduced that the note was most likely referring to a scene Bonnie was going to rehearse with someone. Assuming they were going to rehearse this scene in her room, it would be easy for the killer to knock Bonnie out and steal the needle from her kit to finish her off. To finish her off, might I mention, the only way a person with advanced medical knowledge would know how to."

"Are you accusing Vona?" Vivara asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm only pointing out things that occur to me," Mercy replied. "And though there is a chance Vona is being framed, I find it unlikely. All Monokuma had told us at the point of Bonnie's death was that killing someone meant escaping. There was no talk of trials or investigation, meaning there was no reason to frame anyone."

Vivara nodded. "Very well. Clair, Faqir, did you find anything else in Vona's room that could be considered incriminating?"

The killer felt so obvious now. Was she toying with them? Faqir watched Xhevona's face for a reaction.

She showed none, maintaining her poise. "It is true that I had marked such a time on my schedule. I agree the coincidence feels contrived. However, I assure you--I had marked this time due to an interest in morning yoga. Yoga is quite good for the body and soul, and I rather enjoy doing it in the mornings. 9:30 worked out best for me due to my own schedule in the mornings--you would have seen the same time on all of them if you had bothered to look."

Clair raised an eyebrow. "Actually...there really isn't any guarantee that schedule was only for this morning. Faqir, did you find anymore?"

Faqir winced. "I'm guessing no one would believe me if I said yes?"

Clair sighed.

"Because I didn't. I didn't bother looking. Oh, but I did find one of her dresses. It smelled freshly washed."

Xhevona raised an eyebrow. "You sniffed my dress?"

"Duh, what else would you do with a suspicious piece of clothing at a supposed crime scene?"

Xhevona huffed. "Some yoga poses are strenuous. I wished to wash the sweat out of my dress before it got too late."

Something seemed to occur to Clair--she perked up. "Monokuma, could the killer have had an accomplice?"

"Huh?" Monokuma snorted, sitting up. "Oh yeah, sugar, sure. Not that there's any point to it. Only whoever struck the killing blow gets to escape!"

"But the killer wouldn't know that," Clair continued, resting her chin in her hand. "We've been thinking a girl had to be the one to kill Bonnie because of the incision, but...what if it was a boy and he just had a girl get Bonnie's needle? Or heck, if he met in Bonnie's room he wouldn't even need an accomplice."

"Unacceptable!" Monokuma protested. "Absolutely no boys in the girl dorms and no girls in the boy dorms! I know you teenagers, you'd be gettin' hot and bothered in no time and those sights aren't meant for innocent bears!"

Madoka frowned. "A-are you saying you watch us in our bedrooms...?"

"Focus on the trial! I'm gettin' bored over here!" Monokuma huffed. Madoka instantly went quiet.

Clair sighed. "It's unlikely, then...but still, if a male student got help from a female student it could have been a team. Although I guess that doesn't make sense, based on what Mercy said. Did anyone else find anything odd?"

Faqir suddenly remembered the dried blood stain in Xhevona's sewing kit. He chose not to bring it up--somehow, it felt like he had hallucinated it.

Mercy scoffed. "Oh, really? Name ten yoga poses."

Finnian narrowed his eyes. "Blood would've gotten on the murderer. If Xhevona just washed her clothes, then there's a good chance that she could've been washing Bonnie's blood out."

"He's not wrong," Mercy agreed. "And I believe the rule about boys not being allowed in the girls' rooms helps to clear Finnian's name. See, both Bonnie's chipped mask and sewing kit were found in her room, meaning that he would've had to go inside to get the needle and supposedly attack her. That rule makes it impossible, does it not?"

Graham crossed his arms. "It does, but wait. We went into the girls' rooms earlier to check everyone's sewing kits. If we were allowed in then, who's to say we weren't allowed in earlier this morning?"

"The investigation was an exception!" Monokuma declared. "Rest assured, I was going to break it up if one of you twerps started to get weird!"

"So you wouldn't have allowed a boy to go in?" Mercy confirmed.

"That's right!" Monokuma replied.

"There," Finnian said. "I'm innocent. And I really think that it was Vona. Everything is adding up too nicely, and that she's one of the only people with the expertise here to kill Bonnie in such a way, it only makes sense. Vivara is still a viable candidate, but there has been nothing so far that's pointed to her in any way."

He paused, wiping the sweat off his forehead, "and let's not forget how eerily calm Xhevona was when Bonnie's death was announced. We all knew that there was a murderer in the room with us, but she didn't even flinch. Maybe it's because she was the murderer herself."

Admittedly, Faqir hated how much sense this made. He sighed, rubbing his head. "Hate to say it, but Bill Nye's got a point. Everything is just a tad too convenient."

"If convenience is your only evidence, I'm afraid there is not much I can do," Xhevona muttered. "However, I assure you, I was doing yoga. You asked for ten poses--Lord of the Dance, Tree, Downward Dog, Scorpion, Butterfly, Half Moon, Hero's Pose--"

Clair slammed her fist on the stand, shocking Madoka, who jumped with a yelp. Faqir snickered--if nothing else, watching Madoka freak out was a bit funny. "That's enough. Drop the act, Vona, everything's leading right to you. Bonnie was killed by a girl with anatomical knowledge, you had a schedule indicating the same time on her note to go rehearse with someone, you washed your dress indicating a desire to remove the blood, you were smart enough to use a needle that wasn't your own..."

Xhevona's face set in a scowl. For the first time, her composure began to slip. "Were you not the ones who just indicated Vivara as another potential killer? I assure you, the time was a coincidence. The washed dress was a coincidence. Vivara is also intelligent enough to have chosen a needle that was not her own and had the medical knowledge to complete the task. Do you not remember that just earlier today, I gave you false information pertaining to the type of wound and had to be corrected by Finnian?"

"That's just it!" Clair insisted. "You did it on purpose, you witch! You were trying to throw us off the scent by giving intentionally wrong information so you could cover your own tracks!"

By now, Xhevona's whole posture was stiff. "I told you already, as a surgeon I do not know how to kill--I know how to repair. It was a genuine mistake!"

"Genuine mistake, my a*s!"

"Is sexy," Faqir called. The rising tension made him even more eager than usual to try and alleviate it.

Clair glared at him. "Not now, Faqir! Vona, I just--I just want to know why!"

Xhevona bristled. "I did not kill her!"

"How could it not have been you?! You have no alibi, all the evidence points in your direction...just confess so we can move on!"

Finally, Xhevona's hand slammed onto the table. Her face, once graced with beauty and charm, was twisted in unspeakable rage and a hint of sheer insanity. "I said I did not kill her, you rat-faced dumpster slut! I hope you choke on a d*ck during one of your midnight walks, filthy skank!"

Clair hissed at her. Madoka whimpered and crouched behind his stand. Oni recoiled slightly, but quickly resumed her authoritative posture.

In a situation such as this, Faqir could think of only one thing to do.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

---

Eriko flinched away from Xhevona, hands trembling slightly. Graham, who was on the other side of Xhevona, seemed wary of her as well. He leaned away from her.

"I know I did not kill Bonnie, and that's enough for me to know that you are the killer," Vivara said, her voice deadly serious. "And if you insist on blaming me, then I will gladly sign your death certificate. Everyone, consider the following: I arrived at the conference room early, around 9:45, because I like to be early. I've been early to every meeting from the day we woke up here."

She took a deep breath, continuing. "Bonnie died at 9:36. Do you think I had enough time, from the moment Bonnie died, to stuff her into a washing machine--potentially running into people in the hallway and completely giving myself away as the murderer--wash the blood off my clothes, hide the second weapon I would've used to finish off Bonnie, go to the cafeteria, toast and cream cheese my bagel, and arrive at the meeting room? And as for the bagel. I do believe I was eating it when you came in, wasn't I, Clair? So you can attest that I did in fact have a bagel with me."

"Xhevona arrived to the meeting late," Mercy pointed out. "Which makes sense, because she had to wait until everyone was out of the way to hide Bonnie's body, wash her clothes, and hide the other weapon. I think it's been made abundantly clear at this point who the murderer is, so I'm not sure why we're still debating it."

"I agree," Vivara declared.

How did we pull this off?

Had they done it? No, more importantly...was it a good thing if they had?

Faqir was now entirely convinced that Xhevona was the murderer. This was a woman who had killed poor Bonnie in cold blood just to try and save her own skin...from what?

Wasn't it a good thing she was on her way to being executed for her crimes?

So why did Faqir feel so incredibly sick?

By now, Xhevona was growing frantic--the way her eyes darted around the room and her clenched fist trembled on the table made that much obvious. "You're all going to listen to this over-makeuped hooker?! Well, then may her chlamydia infect every one of your uteruses!"

"X-Xhevona..." Madoka swallowed, shaking. "Please...c-can you just tell us why you did it? M-make us understand."

"Understand?! Please! How about all of you understand that this whore is feeding you lies?!" Xhevona shrieked. "I didn't kill her, and so help me, if you say so one more time, I'll make sure you gag on your own cum, you little skank!"

Clair hissed. "Say that again, you tit-sucker! I'll make you choke on your own words, c*nt-humping p*ssy-licker!"

Faqir decided to ask Clair where on earth she had picked up her filthy mouth one day.

Xhevona swept her arm across the crowd. "Did those fake-a*s tits curse you all to numbness?! Open your eyes, she's a prostitute-f*cking a*s-slapper!"

On that note, Faqir reminded himself to ask Xhevona where she had picked up her language before the inevitable execution.

Clair leaned over her stand towards Xhevona, her bright green eyes nearly glowing in fury. "We have f*cking proof, cl*t-eating b*tch!"

"You call that proof?! My dead mother could give me better 'evidence' than what your scroungy whore mouth could ever do! Go suck on a d*ck!"

"Running out of steam, b*stard-killing baby-thumper?!"

"What the h*ll does that even mean?!"

"What the h*ll does anything we've been saying even mean?!"

"Ladies, ladies!" Faqir waved his arms. If he was going to mention the stain at all, it would have to be now--they had to come to a conclusion. Something had to be done, or they'd tear each other apart. "As fun as it is to watch you two catfight each other--seriously, did you two grow up in a bar in Detroit or something, how the h*ll did you learn to talk like that? Did you kiss your fathers with those mouths?"

Clair swiped at him. Madoka moved to hold her back if things got bad.

"There's no evidence!" Xhevona nearly shrieked. "None, none, none! If you think you can curse me with that flimsy proof, you've got another thing--"

"Give it a rest, Vona. I found the bloodstain in your sewing kit."

Xhevona instantly went completely silent. Her mouth hung half-open, as if she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.

It's over now. Just end it. It's up to you. "Clair, I...might have lied a bit when I said that stain looked like ketchup and rust."

"What stain?" Braeden asked. "This better be pretty d*mn good to have interrupted that catfight!"

Faqir took a deep breath and tried to convince himself that Xhevona deserved to die. "When Clair and I were exploring Vona's room, we...found a stain in her kit. It was just under the pair of sewing scissors--the other murder weapon, I'm guessing. Pretty long. Clair is colorblind, so she asked me to look at the stain and tell her what it looked like. And...it looked like drying blood."

Clair bit her lip.

"Sorry. I would have said something earlier, but...you guys were doing so well without my help. But in terms of incriminating evidence..." Faqir looked Xhevona dead in the eyes and had to hold back another surge of bile--there was so much untapped rage and bloodlust lost in those deep red eyes. "How's that?"

Xhevona was quiet. Faqir only hoped that meant she would go quietly.

---

Eriko stared at Xhevona, her fists slowly clenching. "I hope you die a terrible death for what you did. You killed out of selfishness, you--she did nothing to you! Absolutely nothing, you monster! Aren't you a doctor?! Aren't you supposed to save lives?!"

"Eriko," Finnian muttered softly.

"No!" Eriko shouted. Untapped fury coursed through her veins, tears welling in her eyes. "Why?! Answer me!"

Mercy frowned slightly. "Eriko, please."

The girl turned to Mercy, shuddering violently. Their eyes met. After a moment, Eriko nodded in understanding. She could ask the same question without letting her emotions take control of her. Loudness felt stronger, but in reality, it made her weaker. Eriko needed to find a way to get ahold of herself.

With a deep breath and another sniffle, she looked back at Xhevona, eyes narrowed. She repeated herself, voice sharper and somewhat more level. "Why did you kill Bonnie?"

Why?

It was the question all of them were asking, Faqir was sure. Bonnie hadn't done anything deserving of death. Why choose her and not anyone else, maybe someone who deserved it? Why kill in the first place?

Faqir hoped for a reasonable answer.

What they got was: "Why not?"

A permanent slasher smile was plastered on Xhevona's face now--she grinned with the same confidence she was now infamous for at the circle of students.

"I kill because it amuses me," Xhevona answered at last. "And for years now I have gotten away with it under the guise of being a 'doctor'. How amazing that medical professionals were fooled for all that time, but a few mangy mutts were able to figure me out. I apologize--I must have been off my game. Usually it is so fun to deceive."

"You..." Madoka's face had drained of all color. On his other side, Clair's whole body shook violently, tears spilling down her face. Oni's hands trembled. Romano averted his gaze towards Mercy. Faqir gripped his own wrist to keep it from shaking.

"You didn't even want to get out..." Madoka whispered. "Y-you...k-killed her...a-and you didn't even want to get out..."

All emotion vanished from Xhevona's face. "Would it make a difference if I did?"

"A-at least then, we could say it had a purpose," Madoka insisted. "Please...for my sake, just tell me you wanted to escape."

Xhevona laughed--though this time, it was a haunting sound instead of an airy noise of relief. "I suppose one more lie stacked on top of my millions of others will not tarnish my record once more. Sure, I guess if it makes you stop whining, I wanted to escape. Happy?"

"You're a monster!" Clair screamed, slamming her fists on the table. Madoka reached out and grabbed her arm, squeezing it to keep himself from collapsing. Faqir felt woozy; he gripped the stand.

"Oh? Why, because I gain personal enjoyment out of making a kill? Because something I find fun is illegal or 'evil'? Isn't 'do not steal' one of the ten commandments? Isn't 'do not lie'? I am certain there are those among you who have committed those--who may even gain enjoyment out of it. Why am I so different?"

Before Clair could respond, Madoka squeezed her arm even tighter, clutching it with both hands. Faqir watched the boy, admittedly concerned.

Xhevona straightened her posture. "Monokuma, if you will. I believe we can all come to a conclusion as to the voting for this trial."

You're a monster.

Even if the words wouldn't come out loud--they couldn't, Faqir wouldn't allow them--he had never felt it so strongly in his heart.

The thought that immediately followed was, We all are.

---

"You take joy in seeing the life drain out of others," Eriko muttered, as if in realization. She felt dizzy all of the sudden. And yet, clutching her stand for support, she couldn't stop staring at Xhevona. "Her body was cold. I felt it. I saw it when I was looking through the laundry room, stuffed into the washing machine like a pile of dirty laundry. Those closed eyes used to move, that punctured heart used to beat, and that person used to feel, but you reduced her to nothing and you did it with a smile."

She stumbled, fingers wrapping tighter around her stand. "I think I hate you. I look forward to watching you burn because you don't deserve to live."

Finnian watched Eriko warily.

Mercy kept her calm composure, as she always did, hands folded in front of her. Faussin stared at the floor, holding onto his stand for balance. Graham offered him a hand and Faussin took it, apologizing under his breath as he tried to regain his composure. Vivara watched silently. Ysabel wiped silent tears from her eyes.

"Monokuma," Eriko muttered. "I believe we are ready to vote."

Watching Eriko slowly lose her wit was only making Faqir's own wooziness even worse. He begged himself not to do something stupid.

"Finally!" Monokuma exclaimed. "Alright, kiddos, press the button at your stand to choose the killer! Not like it was obvious or anything."

The buttons--that's right, they had to vote. They had to choose someone to sentence to death.

Maybe it would just be a gunshot--that wouldn't be too bad, right?

Besides, she deserved it.

Faqir tried to remind himself of that as he pressed the button.

...

...

...

"Votes are in! And the killer by nigh-unanimous vote...Xhevona Abera!"

Clair looked shocked. "Nigh-unanimous?! Who the actual h*ll would NOT vote for her?!"

Silently, Madoka raised his hand. He offered no other explanation. Faqir stared at him, his grip on the stand tightening so much he swore he felt the wood bend.

Madoka. What the h*ll?

"Congratulations, you figured it out!" Monokuma cheered. "Now, let's give it everything we've got! IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME~!"

"Now, wait just a moment," Xhevona protested. "What on earth do you mean by 'punish--'"

The metal collar snapping around her neck cut her off, and Xhevona was dragged away down the hallways.

Faqir pressed his forehead to the stand, digging his nails into the wood of the stand to keep from screaming. He had seen enough.

---

---

---

---

Before Xhevona could even comprehend where she was, a strange headset was slapped over her eyes. Clamps slammed over her torso and legs, gluing her onto--what, exactly?

Two perfectly normal nurses appeared in her vision--they smiled politely at her, lifting an ordinary syringe.

A buzzsaw sliced off her leg at the knee.

Xhevona thrashed, digging her nails into the mattress she lay on. The nurses lifted a roll of bandages, chattering kindly.

A knife stabbed into her stomach.

This time, a choked scream exited Xhevona's mouth. As the nurses hustled around, pulling out harmless medical objects, more and more bone saws carved into her body, more scalpels slit her wrists, more poisons were pumped into her veins. Stuck with no knowledge of what on earth was happening to her, the Ultimate Surgeon fell prey to her own medical malpractice.

She who had deceived many was deceived by all.

As blood dripped onto the floor and the tools of torture were drawn away, the Monokuma nurses tottered off down the hall, leaving Xhevona's butchered corpse laying on the surgeon's gurney.

---

Eriko stared as the blood trickled onto the floor. She took a step back. Her were palms sweaty, her heart was hammering, her eyes stinging. She felt something bubble in the back of her throat and she forced it back down, choking on her own tears. Losing her balance, she stumbled backward, but Mercy caught her before she fell.

"She's dead," Eriko mumbled. "She's dead and nothing feels any different! I-I just feel worse!"

Mercy looked on, grimly. "I know."

"Why?!" Eriko spat. "Why, why, why?!"

"Because even if she was a terrible one, she was a human being," Mercy muttered. "We all are. To see someone else die so terribly is soul-sucking, even if we tell ourselves that they deserved it. At least, it is to most people. It's only natural that you're reacting this way."

Eriko felt herself go limp in Mercy's arms, suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion. What was this killing game they had all been trapped in? What were they going to do if someone tried to kill again?

Vivara averted her eyes, hand clasped over her mouth.

Faussin stared numbly.

Graham kept his eyes locked on the ground, arms crossed.

Ysabel ran to the side, beginning to throw up.

Amelia had been closing her eyes and covering her ears the entire time.

Finnian rubbed his eyes, hands shaking.

"I..." Eriko sniffed, her tears suddenly escalating into messy sobs. "Why...?!"

Don't you dare lose it. Don't you dare, Faqir. They need you. Don't you dare--

"I have to go." It shocked Faqir how dead his voice sounded, how little of an inflection there was in his tone. He stormed back towards the elevator, noticing that the grate hadn't yet opened to let them in.

Don't you f*cking dare, you gross b*stard. Don't you dare. She deserved it. She deserved it all. She--

Clair continued shaking--the blood seemed to have made her condition even worse. Madoka stumbled into her, sobbing against her shoulder.

Romano averted his gaze deliberately, his eyes shining with some unrecognizable emotion.

Faqir's fist slamed against the grate. He dug his fingers into the holes, clutching at them until he could feel the pain of the metal burying itself in his skin.

Don't you dare! You're f*cking Faqir Nawabi. You don't cry. You don't scream. You don't throw up. You're cool and charismatic. You're optimistic. Don't you dare.

Oni ran for the grate with him. When it didn't open, she retreated to a far corner, crouched to her knees, and cried, as quietly as she could manage.

Braeden ran a hand through his bangs, eyes locked on the stand before him. "D*mn..."

Don't you dare! Faqir, don't you dare!

"It is..." Romano swallowed audibly. "It is difficult to witness two deaths in one day. Perhaps we shall take time to rest, sirs and madams. Please do let me know if there is anything I may do for you."

"Sh-she deserved it," Clair whispered, clutching her arms. "Sh-she...sh-she deserved it...sh-she deserved it...she deserved it...she..."

Faqir couldn't stand it anymore.

He pounded against the grate with both hands, fighting against the hot tears that cascaded down his cheeks. "Let us out of here, d*mn you! We saw it, we get it! This world is sick, we get it! Now let us the f*ck out of here!"

Madoka released another loud sob. In that moment, Faqir felt he knew why the Ultimate Lucky Student had not voted for Xhevona's execution.

Monokuma--callous and uncaring as always--waved a paw. "Alright, alright. Don't get your panties in a twist! Head on back--and remember, disturb the peace and you'll end up just like her!"

The grate slid open.

Faqir immediately pinpointed a corner of the elevator and vomited onto the floor.

Screw you. Screw you. Screw you. Screw you.

"Geez..." Monokuma sat up straighter, kicking his feet. "Even our class clown is a mess! Relax, you guys are the ones who voted her in. You can blame no one but yourselves!"

Unsurprisingly, his comment only served to make Faqir feel worse.

Screw me. Screw me. Screw me. Screw me.

Taking a deep breath, Romano bowed to Monokuma. "I do not suppose you have any intentions of cleaning that."

"Eh, I'll get to that when I feel like it."

Faqir clenched his fists, forcing himself to stand straighter. "W-we..."

Stuttering. No good. Try again.

"We should get out of here. Who knows, maybe if we do we can take a nap and have even worse nightmares so we forget this one."

Cut it out, you hack poser. Just admit you're terrified and confused and disgusted and horrified and shocked and...

Oni quickly joined Faqir in the elevator, mumbling to herself. Tilting his chin, Romano joined them. Braeden started to follow, paused, then went to gently coax Clair and Madoka towards the door. The three entered together.

...angry and furious and distraught and dead inside and miserable and enraged and bitter and...

And self-loathing.

"Chin up, everyone." His smile had never felt more forced. "It can only get worse from here, right?"

For once, Clair didn't yell at him. She leaned into Madoka's hug, even allowing Braeden's hand on her back to support her. Oni huddled up to Romano, who patted her back.

Faqir suddenly felt incredibly lonely. He watched the others, longing for one of them to just give him a simple smile.

It was all he could do to keep his own alive.

---

Eriko sobbed the entire way to the elevator, leaning into Mercy for support. She hiccuped, nose running, tears gushing down her cheeks. Her throat convulsed in pain. Her body shuddered violently.

Stop, she willed herself, breath catching between sobs. Why can't I stop? Why am I so weak?

She clenched her fists, coughing. I'm pathetic. I'm pathetic and I can't make myself stop because I'm even worse than I thought I was. She deserved it, I know she deserved it, but I...I...

Mercy took a deep breath, leading Eriko to the back of the elevator. She looked over everyone and frowned. Turning to Vivara, she muttered, "would you mind taking Eriko for a second?"

Vivara, who stood silently in the corner, looked up. After a moment, she nodded, slowly stepping over to the two and taking Eriko into a hug. Sniffing, Eriko stood, frozen in place.

Mercy walked over to Faqir and clapped her hand onto his shoulder, muttering something to him under her breath. After a moment, she somehow mustered up a tired smile and brought him into a hug, her somewhat sluggish movements speaking of exhaustion.

Finnian, who was standing alone, retreated to the elevator with shaking limbs. Behind him, Faussin still stood frozen, eyes locked on the scene before them.

Ysabel leaned against the edge of the elevator, wiping tears away as they quietly rolled down her face. Amelia continued to cover her ears and close her eyes as if trying to block out everything that had just happened.

Vivara patted Eriko's back, sighing slowly. Her sobs beginning to lessen, Eriko closed her eyes. Nothing was going to be okay. It was going to get worse from that point on. But no matter what happened, she would find a way to be strong so that she could do her best to pull through. By the end of this endeavor, Eriko would be a shoulder for someone else to cry on. She would be a pillar of strength.

That, she promised herself. It was the least she could do.

"Faqir's right," Mercy said, perking up slightly. "Chins up, everyone. We've got to ward off the nightmares for tonight."

Thank God.

Faqir leaned into Mercy's hug, suddenly drained. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to go back to the rooms and forget anything had ever happened.

Thankfully, as soon as everyone had made it inside the elevator grate slammed shut with a mighty clang, and the car began moving, rattling upwards with a cry of metal. The second it opened once more, Madoka tumbled out, dragging Clair by the hand, and collapsed to the floor. He curled into a fetal position, shaking. Clair knelt by him, rubbing his back.

Braeden stretched, arching his back. "A'ight, that's enough o' that. Put it all behind us or somethin'. We got a lot to do."

Stay calm. It's gone now. Faqir looked at the door across the lobby, trying to avoid looking down at Madoka. "Brae's right. I've got some butt to kick in Mortal Kombat."

Clair laughed, mirthlessly. "Hilarious choice of game after what we just saw."

"You know me, sugar."

"Never call me that again." Clair's teeth clenched; Faqir was reminded of her breakdown in the courtroom. "I don't want to be even remotely associated with that bear any more than I have to."

Oni sniffled. "Fear not, citizens. As Her Empress Kurano Oni, I am proud to assert that my denizens of hell are making Dr. X very comfortable right now!"

Faqir wasn't sure how--he wasn't even sure why--but somehow, Oni's words brought him immense comfort. He decided to cling to them.

Conscious of Mercy's closeness, he let out a soft sigh. The smile he'd been forcing began to come more naturally.

They had a lot ahead of them. Only time would tell if things would truly get better or just worse, but at least one thing was certain--they would face it together.

---

Mercy let out a tired sigh, her eyes wanting to close on themselves. As she watched everyone eventually break apart into different groups, all going off to cope in their own ways, she deemed it time to dismiss herself to her room. Hands in her pockets, she waved goodbye to everyone and walked off slowly.

The situation seemed to be getting more and more bleak. Though she'd predicted a death was inevitable, there was no way to tell that it was going to lead to something so jarring. No doubt people would be having nightmares tonight--assuming they'd be able to sleep at all. Mercy just hoped there wasn't another death on the horizon.

Sighing, she unlocked her door and stepped in, closing it behind her. She paused. Her room was incredibly clean. Creeped out, she took another step forward, then remembered how Romano had warned he'd probably clean the room when checking her sewing kit. Oddly relieved that it wasn't--well, she wasn't sure what she thought it was, but at least there was an explanation.

She took the ponytail out of her hair, letting it fall to her sides. Rubbing her eyes, kicking off her shoes, and heading straight for her bed, she collapsed onto the mattress.

The days to come were uncertain, but Mercy knew what she was going to do.

She was going to take a nice, long nap.

---

---

A couple of days had passed since the deaths of Bonnie Clyde and Xhevona Abera. Nothing had felt the same ever since. What some students thought livable at first was now a prison filled with potential murderers. Any day now someone could stumble upon a fresh corpse, and if so, another round of Monokuma's sick killing game would begin.

Mercy headed toward the conference room, carefully adjusting her ponytail. The halls were peacefully quiet in the morning. It almost reminded her of waking up nice and early for a hunt--the crisp morning air, the steadily rising sun and orange sky.

"I wonder if it's raining right now," she muttered softly, remembering the feeling of the sun on her back.

Sighing lightly, Mercy arrived at the conference room and opened the door, stepping in to see Vivara sitting at the end of the table already. Mercy waved to her, then took a random seat.

"How are you?" Vivara asked.

Mercy shrugged. "As well as can be expected. You'd be surprised by what I'd do to get some hot chocolate right now, though."

Vivara gave her a strange look.

"What? No, I didn't mean it that way," Mercy replied as she realized what Vivara must've been thinking. "I'd do a lot for hot chocolate, but murder's not on the list. Don't get your panties in a twist."

"Right," Vivara replied, jokingly. "Don't kid with me, Ms. Crocker. I'm well aware of the tempting taste of hot chocolate. I know back in my day, I'd kill for some, too."

"Ah," Mercy said, smirking. "So you, too, know of its deliciousness."

She nodded. "As a librarian, I have tasted all of the classic indoor winter beverages. Almost every winter, my father and I would curl up by the fire with two mugs of hot chocolate--with marshmallows, mind you. It's funny. Even just thinking about it, it feels like--like I can still feel the warmth of the fire."

Mercy's heart began to knot. "Were you and your father close?"

She closed her eyes, smiling sadly. "You could say that. I'd hoped that when I started going to Hope's Peak, I'd be able to go back and visit him every now and then, but clearly, that's not an option anymore."

She paused, beginning to fidget with her fingers. "But that's enough about that. Do you have anyone you're particularly close with?"

Mercy hesitated. "My father's old friend. When my dad passed, he was there for me when no one else could be."

"Oh." Vivara frowned. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Mercy shook her head, forcing a smile. "It's fine. It was a long time ago, anyway."

Madoka yawned, heading down to Clair's room to meet her for the morning meeting. The two had started a routine of sorts where they walked down to the conference room together--after the harrowing events of the last trial, Madoka had needed her composure.

She cracked open the door, then emerged, her jacket fully zipped. Madoka waved politely. Clair returned the gesture.

"I was thinking," she began, "that I might want to visit the casino today. Maybe we can go together after the meeting. Faqir and Braeden were going to join me, if that's okay."

Madoka nodded, remembering the announcement soon after everyone had returned from the trial--the second floor had opened up, along with the nurse's office. The group now had access to a library, a casino, a recreation room with pool tables and table tennis, a bar, and a dance club--mostly recreational things, nothing too useful, but having more to do was certainly welcome. Braeden seemed to appreciate the bar, at least.

"That could be fun," Madoka agreed. "A-although, u-um, I'm not really...I-I mean--"

"Relax, good luck charm," Clair laughed.

Madoka's heart fluttered. He wasn't sure when, but at some point, Clair's nickname for him had started setting his heart racing. Faqir's teasing might not have been far off--Madoka couldn't bear to think of living in this place without her anymore.

"I won't let them pick on you or anything. And I promise, I'm not going to ignore you. Maybe we can play a round of Go Fish."

Madoka chuckled, stepping back to allow Clair more room to step out. The two began to make their way towards the conference room, Clair threading an arm around Madoka's.

"Isn't this place wonderful?" she sighed. "There's everything you could ever need here. I know I should be worried about another murder, but I just...I don't see why anyone would want to leave. I really don't. We have our own paradise."

Madoka nodded. "I-it's a wonderful place. I-I'd be happy to stay here forever."

They emerged into the conference room chattering politely. Madoka went to pull out a chair for Clair, then settled down beside her. He waved to Mercy and Vivara.

"Good morning. H-how did you two sleep?"

---

Vivara shrugged. "As well as can be expected."

"I didn't get much sleep, actually," Mercy admitted, scratching the back of her head. She smiled slightly. "I was up all night reading. I forgot how much I missed books, actually."

Vivara glanced over at Mercy, eyebrow raising. "You read?"

"What?" Mercy asked, smirking somewhat. "You don't think the Ultimate Hunter reads? I'll have you know that when I'm not out shooting, I find solace in a good book."

Harvey--her father's friend--would often read to her when she was little. They would sit in his room, sitting in his rustic green chairs, next to a huge window that overlooked the fields. It was a long time ago, but the memory was still so clear in her head. Her heart ached when she thought about it.

Years later, when Harvey's condition worsened, it was her who ended up reading to him. Whereas she used hunting to feel close with her father, she had books to feel close to Harvey. And now that she would never see him again...

Mercy sighed, closing her eyes. She didn't want to start the day off this way. Rubbing her eyes, she straightened her posture and forced a tired smile. "How did the two of you sleep? Well, I should hope."

"I slept perfectly, thank you," Graham's voice sang from outside the hallway. Just like every morning, he began dragging his chair through the door. "And I'm in a particularly great mood today."

As he came into the room, something atop his head shimmered.

Vivara stared at him. "Is that a tiara?"

"More or less. I thought of it more as a crown, but tiara works too," Graham replied, adjusting it so that it wouldn't fall off. "Do you guys like it?"

Eriko slipped in behind him, smirking. She took a seat next to Mercy. "Stole the jewels from Faqir, I assume?"

"Steal is a harsh word," Graham protested.

Madoka chuckled, scooting a bit closer to Clair. Romano hustled into the room behind Eriko and immediately began scanning the room for any cleaning that needed to be done.

"I slept wonderfully," Madoka admitted. "I had this lovely dream about being at the beach. There were these cute dolphins, and the sand was so warm."

"An' there were girls in bikinis, right?" Braeden entered the room, waving to Clair. She waved back. "Speakin' of...hey, sexy, why hide?"

Clair pursed her lips, fiddling with the zipper of her jacket. "It's because of you I keep zipping this up more, you know."

Braeden clicked his tongue at her, settling down and propping his feet on the table. Romano's eye twitched.

Madoka grinned, settling into his chair. Paradise--this was paradise.

Who needs the beach?

---

Graham threw a pastry at Braeden's head. "Have some respect, man. You're giving the guys a bad name."

Mercy chuckled, grinning somewhat. "Nice, Graham."

He plopped his chair down in his spot and offered her a high five. She obliged.

A few minutes later, Finnian walked into the room, looking down at something he'd written on his wrist. Lost in thought, he accidentally bumped into an empty chair as he was heading toward the table. "Oh! Crud. Crap. Sorry."

Still somewhat distracted, he sat down in the chair and continued to stare at his wrist. After what looked like a brief moment of thought, he glanced over at Vivara and asked her something in French. She replied back--also in French--and they proceeded to have a conversation that almost no one else could understand.

About halfway through their conversation, Graham muttered, "wait, really?"

They both turned to him and he proceeded to say something in French. Before Mercy knew it, all three of them were talking back and forth in French.

Mercy coughed. "Eriko, you know other languages, correct?"

"Correct," Eriko replied.

"What are they talking about?" Mercy muttered.

"Science, at first," Eriko replied. "And hearing Finnian's theories was actually rather fascinating. Once Graham joined the conversation, however, it turned into the two of them wondering how many other languages he knew. Several others, apparently. The Ultimate Thief has been almost all around the world."

"Interesting," Mercy mused.

Vivara turned and spoke something in French to Eriko.

"I figured," Eriko replied, "but may I remind you that French isn't some secret code you can use to stop your parents from knowing what you're saying."

Graham scoffed.

Braeden caught the pastry out of the air and proceeded to eat it. "Your aim ain't bad, but more power'll help ya next time. Can't expect to hit a gang leader with a throw like that."

Madoka shifted. "I-I keep forgetting y-you were accepted as the Ultimate Yankee."

Braeden scowled, looking oddly offended. "What's that s'posed to mean?"

Madoka paled. "N-no, it's just--I-I mean, I'm not scared of you so--w-well, I'm scared but not--"

He was grateful when Oni threw open the doors. "Your queen has arrived! SERVE ME!"

Romano, who had adapted himself to the role of Oni's "Demon Butler", promptly scooped up a pastry and offered it to her with a bow. Oni took it daintily and sat at the table, crossing her legs.

"Your help is greatly appreciated, servant! YOU SHALL HAVE A HIGH HONOR IN MY COURT ONCE WE REACH HELL! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"I am honored, Miss Oni." Romano's words dripped with sarcasm. Oni didn't seem to notice.

"YOU WILL REFER TO ME AS YOUR QUEEN, SERVANT!"

Madoka giggled, amused. "S-so does anyone here speak any other languages? I-I mean, I speak Japanese, b-but I feel like that goes without saying c-considering it's where I live...and stuff. Or--used to live, I guess."

"It's a beautiful language," Oni said suddenly in Japanese.

Madoka perked up, admittedly happy to hear his native language. "Yes, it is lovely," he responded in the same tongue. Clair seemed oddly attentive, but didn't speak.

---

Graham narrowed his eyes at Braeden and proceeded to pelt him with various kinds of food that he had stashed on his person. "Guess I'll just need to keep throwing until I hit, then."

"Why are we throwing food?" Faussin asked, stepping in tentatively. Graham turned and threw a bagel at him instead, but Faussin caught it. He stared at it for a moment. "Is this safe to eat? I forget to get food from the cafeteria and I'm really hungry."

"I would play it safe," Mercy said.

Faussin nodded, carefully setting the bagel onto the table. "That's probably the best option, huh?"

Eriko watched Faussin curiously as he took a seat next to Madoka. He caught her gaze after a moment. He looked around, as if making sure she wasn't looking at anyone else, then looked back at Eriko. He coughed. "Y-yes?"

"You're the Ultimate Illusionist," Eriko started, tapping her chin, "and yet we've never seen you do a magic trick. You should put on a performance for us."

He blinked, suddenly sitting up straighter. "Oh. Oh! You don't mean now, do you?"

She shook her head, a smile spreading across her features. "No, not now. You should prepare first so you can really wow us. Maybe you could put on a show in the dance club? Or somewhere else of your choosing, considering you're the magician?"

"Yeah," Faussin started excitedly. "Yeah! I don't know how long it'll be until I have something ready, but I'll try to work quickly. Give me a few days, maybe. Or a week. Probably more than a week, I need to find things to use and I really don't know yet, it depends on what I decide to do."

Eriko clapped her hands. "Wonderful! I can't wait!"

Graham stopped throwing things at Braeden, seeming genuinely interested. "Woah, wait. The Ultimate Illusionist is going to put on a magic show? Awesome!"

"Finnian expressed his excitement for the show, but in French," Eriko said. "Vivara said she's ready to be impressed as well."

Mercy scoffed. "Why don't they just say it in English?"

"Because they're snobs," Graham replied.

"That sounds like so much fun! I love magic shows."

Clair cocked her head. "We haven't all been able to show off our talents a whole lot yet, have we? Like, I haven't seen Oni perform a single exorcism."

Braeden, who had somehow managed to dodge, catch, or deflect every piece of breakfast food, shrugged at her. "I dunno, you always look hot. Can prolly attribute that to your makeup."

"Are you saying I only look good because I have makeup on?"

"Babe, with a body like that you'd look good with a paper bag over your head."

Feeling oddly defensive, Madoka said, "C-Clair is beautiful whether she has makeup or not and it has nothing to do with her body."

Clair looked genuinely touched by this. She placed a hand on Madoka's arm, smiling softly. "Mado, that's one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said about me! Thank you, good luck charm."

Madoka blushed. "W-well, y-you're always sticking up for me, s-so I just--I figure it's about time I--I-I mean, it's not...um..."

"Yo!" Faqir entered the room, carrying a sack that jingled with every step. "Great, is this everyone? I've been working all night for two nights straight on these and I've had to work double-time to make sure Graham doesn't steal them. I put a lot of hard work into this, man, so I'm asking for a little respect: please try not to take them."

Glad for the subject change, Madoka looked up. "W-what is it?"

Faqir held a finger to his lips. "Is everyone here? Are we missing someone?"

"Ysabel," Clair spoke up. "But I think she's the last one."

"Well, then you'll get your presents when she arrives."

Oni perked up. "Presents, you say?! YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN BUY THE GREAT DEMON QUEEN'S FAVOR WITH GIFTS?! ...Because you totally can if they're good enough, BUT STILL!"

"Patience!" Faqir insisted, his eyes sparkling. Madoka grinned.

He looks so happy. He must really be excited to share these with us.

"Wait a second," Faqir began suddenly, glaring at Graham, "are those the gems from my quartz collection? I KNEW I was missing some!"

---

"You look excited, don't you?" Mercy asked, watching Faqir with a smile. It was nice to see someone in such high spirits.

Graham held his hands up to his crown protectively. "First of all, they're mine now, thank you. And I can't make any promises about whatever you have in that bag. I know that sounds insincere, but just listen for a sec. For me, thievery is an irresistible compulsion. I've tried to fight it for years, but it's never worked--heck, my life could be on the line and I still wouldn't give up my stuff. After so many years of self-loathing and fighting and misery from trying to stop stealing, I decided that I'd just embrace it instead. So I say this: I'll try my very hardest to not steal whatever that is, but considering what's happened in the past, I don't know that I can stop myself."

Vivara muttered something in what sounded like German.

"I heard that, Viv," Graham said, glaring at her.

She shrugged.

Amelia and Ysabel walked in, exchanging pleasantries. They both waved to everyone.

"Everyone's here," Eriko realized, "which means we get our gifts, doesn't it?"

"These better be good," Mercy said, jokingly.

Madoka sat up straighter as Faqir emptied the contents of his sack onto the table and began arranging the colorful little bags contained within. He cocked his head. "W-what are those?"

Faqir beamed, lifting a dark blue baggy. "Jewelry!"

"Ah..." Admittedly, Madoka sometimes found himself forgetting Faqir was the Ultimate Jeweler--sometimes he seemed more like the Ultimate Class Clown.

Faqir hummed, examining the pouch he'd picked up. "Things have been crazy since the last trial, right? So I thought, 'I should make everyone something.' Gemstones can be so powerful, and some of the meanings work really well for what we all have going on. So to start, I added diopside, jasper, and onyx to everyone's--those cleanse trauma, aid in relaxation and consolation, and protect the wearer from hostility, respectively. Sounds perfect for all of us, right?"

Clair smiled warmly. "Faqir, that's so thoughtful of you."

In a voice reminiscent of a television salesman, Faqir continued. "But wait, there's more! Each piece also comes with an added stone I picked personally for each of you. Sorry if I got the colors a little off, I tried to pick a setting based on what I can guess about all of you. I could make a new piece if anyone wanted. Well--I could try, at least, I lost a lot of my stuff but the tools in the tool kit were kinda helpful and I guess Monokuma let me keep a good amount of my sh*t. So anyway, Mado! Here, buddy, this is yours."

Faqir passed over the dark blue bag. Madoka stood, reaching across the table to take it. "W-what is it?"

"Apatite," Faqir declared triumphantly. "Open it."

Obliging, Madoka untied the ribbon holding the bag closed and drew a small silver bracelet out from within. He examined it, tilting his head. None of the stones were ones he recognized--except perhaps onyx, if it was the black one he thought he knew--but all four stones appeared carefully arranged.

"It aids stuttering," Faqir announced. "Should be useful for you."

Madoka wilted. "Gee, thanks."

"See? It's working already!" Faqir paused. "Don't worry--it also has grief healing properties. I figured you could use that after...well, we all could, but anyway. Supposed to help with communication. You have good ideas, so maybe now you can learn to share them better."

Madoka smiled, unhooking the clasp of the bracelet and attempting to fit it onto his wrist. "Th-that's...actually pretty sweet of you. Thank you."

Faqir laughed. "Shucks. Oh, right--this one is for Amelia." He lifted another dark blue bag and passed it to Amelia. Madoka peered at it--the shape inside appeared to be a necklace. "That's jade. It's popular with gardeners since it brings a more bountiful harvest, and is known to alleviate fear and anxiety too. Since you're the Ultimate Botanist and all I figured it could be useful."

Clair reached for a bright green bag. "Ooh, I want mine next! Gimme!"

"Alright, Graham, patience," Faqir said, passing over the green bag. Clair quickly opened it and dumped a pair of silver earrings into her hand. "Emerald. Supposed to improve eyesight. Maybe you'll finally know what 'red' is."

Clair beamed. "Aw, Faqir..."

"It's also supposed to lift depression and relieve insomnia. Also it gives the wearer psychic powers. Spooky!"

"You mean I can finally call things like you do? Neat!"

Humming, Faqir lifted another green bag and passed it to Graham. "Speaking of Graham, here. It's gold. Nice and shiny for ya. Went with a necklace since there's more chain to work with and I can fit a bit more onto it. The gemstone is citrine, which attracts material abundance and aids with holding on to wealth. ...It also balances impatience and restlessness but that was mostly for my sake. Maybe it'll help somehow."

Oni grappled for a purple bag. Faqir ceded it to her. She tore it open and instantly slipped four rings onto her fingers. "YOU HAVE SATISFIED THE GREAT DEMON QUEEN! THIS IS SUFFICIENTLY SPARKLY!"

"Fluorite. Improves intuition and concentration and encourages balanced thinking. I figured you could use it."

"HER EMPRESS HAS PERFECT INTUITION! ...But the concentration is helpful, I guess."

Next, Faqir located another blue bag and passed it to Finnian. "This here's hematite. It improves logical thinking and creativity and dispels negative energy. I know you're already a genius, but hey, always room for more. And, uh, lemme see here..." He passed a dark red pouch to Vivara. "Speaking of geniuses. It's blue topaz, a favored stone among scholars for it's contributions to higher thinking. It also dispels negative energy like Finn's and improves communication. So you can maybe talk to us more."

Braeden was handed a brown bag. Muttering, he opened it.

"Used stainless steel in your chain. Figured you could hook it to your belt loops or something. Anyways, that's topaz--not blue topaz, mind you, yellow--and it calms bad tempers."

Braeden scowled. "Wow, thanks."

Faqir chuckled, nudging him playfully. "I'm not done yet, man, I wouldn't leave you high and dry like that! It also improves mental clarity and increases confidence."

Braeden observed the chain with renewed interest. "Confidence, eh?"

"Yep! Oh yeah, and this is for Fauss." Faqir began to hum, passing Faussin an orange bag. "Moonstone. Like the emerald, it's supposed to grant psychic abilities. Useful for the Ultimate Illusionist. It also provides clear thinking and inspiration."

Madoka asked Clair for help getting his bracelet on. She obliged, oddly cheerful.

Faqir handed a red bag to Mercy. "This here's garnet. It increases vitality and stimulates the senses, in addition to aiding with passionate devotion. Like to me, maybe, for being cool enough to give you a present."

Only five bags remained now. Madoka paused to count--there were three students left in the room, excluding Faqir himself. He cocked his head, but decided he would ask when Faqir had finished.

A pink bag was passed down to Eriko. "Tiger's Eye--converts anxiety and fear into practical logic and action. Also provides balance and strength during difficult times and relieves doubt. You've seemed on-edge since the last trial, so...figured maybe it would do something. Uh, who's next, who's next...oh, Romano!"

Romano suddenly looked alert. Faqir handed him a green bag. "There was no need to make me anything of worth, Master Faqir."

Faqir shrugged. "You're part of the team! Wouldn't feel right leaving anyone out. Anyways, that's amethyst. It helps lower obsessive-compulsive tendencies--which, yes, I have definitely noticed you have--aids in discovering wisdom, and brings calmness and clarity."

Romano briefly looked surprised, then relaxed. He opened the pouch to find a bracelet, which he tucked into his suit pocket for safekeeping.

Faqir faked wiping sweat off his brow and handed a magenta bag to Ysabel. "You're last, little lady. Since you don't know your Ultimate, I thought I'd get you agate. It's supposed to awaken talents and attract strengths."

Madoka found himself touched on her behalf--it was obvious Faqir had put a lot of effort into thinking up a personal stone for each member of the group. His opinion of the Ultimate Jeweler shifted slightly towards the positive--maybe Faqir really wasn't that bad after all.

Still, the two bags still sitting on the table had him confused. If no one else asked, he definitely would.